


Fangirls Make them Break Up (or, Steve Rogers versus the Internet)

by Mushroom



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Civil War Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Meta, Some Humor, the internet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5956834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mushroom/pseuds/Mushroom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony attempts to break up with Steve because of haters on the Internet. Steve is not having any of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fangirls Make them Break Up (or, Steve Rogers versus the Internet)

**Author's Note:**

> Written to counter all the negativity re: Tony online. Steve doesn't like bullies, y'all.
> 
> [Read this on my tumbr.](http://mushroomhobbit.tumblr.com/post/138925846799/fangirls-make-them-break-up-or-steve-rogers)
> 
> Translated into Vietnamese by Viigorous [here](https://tieuketu.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/498/).

“You’re breaking up with me because of the _fangirls?!_ ” Steve looks at Tony incredulously.

Tony sighs and rubs his forehead. His eyes are red and puffy, like he’d been crying recently. “And boys, actually.” 

Steve pauses and looks at what Tony has been doing. The screens are showing specs for Bucky’s new arm, but he knows that Tony’s been searching the net just before he entered the workshop. “Didn’t Sam warn us not to google ourselves?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, Steve. You should see what they say online about me.”

Steve steps forward and gently places his hands on Tony’s arms. “I thought Tony Stark–genius, billionaire, philanthropist Tony Stark–didn’t care about what other people think.”

“Turns out I do,” Tony smiles at him sadly. “They say that I’m The Merchant of Death. Successor to the Stark legacy of murdering people, of war-profiteering. I shouldn’t be forgiven that easily for the mistakes that I’ve committed. I’m a money-hungry whore who doesn’t even deserve to be an Avenger, that’s what Fury said, and I don’t deserve to be with you either–”

“Stop pretending that Fury hates you, I’ve seen his worried-about-Tony face whenever you’re out in the field. And that’s why we’re both leaders of the Avengers, we’re here to set things right.“ Tony still looks unconvinced, so Steve presses on. ” _I love you, Tony._ You made the Avengers possible, we’d be useless without you. You gave us– _me_ –a home.” 

Tony doesn’t meet his eyes. “Anyway, what they’re saying is right.  I’m…responsible for many things.”

Something cold and heavy churns in Steve’s gut. “If this is about the SHRA events a year ago…”

“They call it the Civil War.” Tony informs him. “They even have a hashtag for it. There was a special documentary on youtube about the SHRA, that’s why they’re talking about us again. But don’t worry about it, #teamcaptainamerica is still trending. Everyone thinks you’re ace, big guy.”

Steve prefers not to remember the events about superhero registration, and those who rallied against it. He remembers being angry about being lied to, but also feels deep shame on taking things too far. 

“We never hated you.” is all he could say. Tony tries to move away, but Steve pulls him back. He wipes away Tony’s tears with his thumbs, then kisses his forehead. This seems to work; Tony finally slumps forward and melts in Steve’s embrace. “Besides, not everybody likes me, either. Remember when I first went to your office? Everyone in SI looked like they wanted to murder me for even attempting to court their boss.” Steve recalls how the young engineers kept giving him suspicious looks when he visited Tony with a bouquet and an awkward grin. Tony was thrilled to receive the flowers and showed Steve what they were working on, but his fellow “science nerds” hovered protectively as if they were assessing Steve’s intentions.

“But that’s because I pay them, even the interns.” Tony protests. 

“There are people who love you, Tony,” Steve says firmly. “And we are not breaking up because of the haters.”

“Haters,” Tony murmurs, then gapes at him. “Who taught you that?”

*****

After an enthusiastic bout of thank-god-we’re-not-actually-breaking-up-wall-sex, Steve peels a pliant Tony from the wall, carries him to the bed, tucks him in, and then uses the elevator to the Avengers common room.

Sitting on the loveseat usually reserved for him and Tony, Steve opens the laptop his boyfriend gave him and starts his own research, with a little help from Friday.

Tony is right. The internet wants them _gone_. There are some supportive blogs, and some holiday-themed fanart contests, but other than that, there’s a lot of hate and vitriol, mostly aimed at Tony. They all sound like bullies, thoughtlessly celebrating another man’s vulnerabilities. Before Steve knows it he’s created his own blog and starts answering the blog posts and comments against Tony, putting a lot of effort explaining why Tony is beautiful and wonderful and amazing and _why can’t they see it?_ (Steve finds himself typing several paragraphs waxing poetically about Tony’s slender hands and genius brain, he just can’t help himself.)

Clint, Natasha and Sam amble in from the gym three hours later, and then stand behind the couch to shamelessly peer at his work. Steve is currently reading the comments on his meta essay entitled **Ironman and Tony Stark are Heroes.** He even uploads a hasty sketch of Ironman with a bunch of happy kids to go with it. Steve’s received a lot of encouraging comments so far, but there are some unsavory ones still.

“Careful about the keys Steve, I think you’re about to smash them to pieces.” Sam warns.

“Well, Anti_anthony_edward seems totally sane.” Natasha observes. Steve logs in another account and starts replying to said troll, furiously typing his response (thank god for Stark-issued laptops for superpowered people. Tony had to replace nine laptops for Bruce before he finally found a model that could withstand increased strength).

“Wait, are you using _multiple accounts?_ ” Clint says, bewildered. Steve just grunts in reply and hits send, not particularly caring about his grammar in his last comment.

Undeterred, the archer leans forward to take a closer look at the laptop. “Really Cap, multiple accounts? You do know those are called sockpuppets, right? You just created _fake accounts to argue with people on the internet._ ”

“It’s not arguing, we’re having a discussion.” Steve protests. 

Clint points at the screen. “Caps_Little_Angel54 says that _Tony should die in hellfire cos he’s a fucking piece of shit asshole fucking cum twat._ ”

Steve frowns and deletes the message, until another one with the same colourful language pops in.

Sam sighs. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

******

Hours pass. Clint, Natasha, and Sam help him a bit with his meta essays (Clint is really helpful with the sassy comebacks), then they leave for dinner. Bucky and Rhodey wander in hoping to watch TV, take one look at Steve’s vicious typing, then retreat to the kitchen. Bruce, Thor, Wanda and Vision don’t even make an appearance, probably warned by the others in advance. Steve gets angrier and angrier the more he scrolls through comments and the more he reads, so he finds himself typing _#you all suck_ at the tags, slams the laptop close, and fumes in silence.

“I don’t know why people think you’re the calm, rational one.” Steve looks behind him and sees Tony leaning by the elevator doors. He actually noticed his boyfriend’s arrival because of his enhanced hearing but couldn’t muster a reaction, stewing in his own misery.

Steve doesn’t move. Tony lets out a tiny huff and plops down next to him, fluttering his eyelashes and demanding a snuggle. Steve rolls his eyes fondly and curls an arm around his boyfriend; Tony presses a cheek against his chest, and everything is right with the world again. 

“I was worried, so I asked Friday to monitor your online activities. I’m really flattered that you’d go online and brave the comments section to defend my virtue…or what’s left of it. But now you’re all worked up.”

Steve sighs, embarrassed about his emotional outburst, but doesn’t feel ashamed about what he said in Tony’s defense. “I just can’t believe the things they say about you. Now I know why it affects you so much.”

“You’re right though, I shouldn’t be affected by what a bunch of fourteen year olds say.”

“Some of them were in their forties, Tony.”

“Okay, so people of all ages hate me. But they’re just passionate about the Avengers, and being anonymous gives them the courage.”

Steve shifts a little to look Tony in the eyes. “Why are you suddenly being calm about this? You threatened to break up with me just this morning!”

“I may have seen an Anti-Captain America blog that said you were a traitor to America and not a true patriot.” Tony admits. “It made me so upset that I… _may_ _have hacked all their accounts and oh Steve don’t look at me like that, I just took a teeny tiny peek_ and _aaaanyway_ , turns out it’s just a harmless, ordinary person with a rather boring job in Accounting. But still, an innocent person. It sucks, and I still feel like shit, but irrational hate is something we can’t control.”

“Yes we can,” Steve’s frown slowly turns into a wide grin. “I mean, we can’t control what people think, but we can change the conversation. We need to get out there, talk to people, make them know us some more. Not just to be relatable for PR reasons, but show them that we’re human and why we care enough to save them in the first place.”

Tony blinks, then finally gives a genuine smile. “Yeah, we can do that.”

Steve and Tony talk a little bit more about their plans to win people over, until the scent of Vision’s cooking wafts into the room and Steve’s stomach makes a growling noise. “Was it worth it, going through all that trouble just to dive into heated debates in the comments section?” teases Tony, standing up and pulling Steve to his feet so they could join the rest of their friends for dinner.

Steve gazes at the man he almost lost and now _loves_ with an intensity that both humbles and inspires him. “It was worth it.” He answers, and allows Tony to lead him away from the internet.


End file.
